Forum Center: We’ll always have Havana By Sarah Sidlow President Obama announced in December that the United States would end its 54-year embargo against Cuba. American-Cuban relations have been tense for the last half-century, punctuated by Cuba’s inclusion on the United States list of state sponsors of terrorism in 1982. But last week, Obama declared he […]

Forum Center: Ohio’s latest smoking gun By Sarah Sidlow Illustration: Jed Helmers No permit, no training requirement and no searches for gun owners? It may just happen – that is, if House Bill 147, introduced to the Ohio statehouse by Republican representative Ron Hood of Ashville, passes. If HB 147 is successful, Ohio would join Alaska, […]

Forum Center: Indiana wants me, Lord I can’t go back there By Sarah Sidlow The recent approval of Indiana’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) has businesses, political leaders and social groups up in arms on the grounds that it is anti-gay. The Religious Freedom Restoration Act says, essentially, that the government cannot “substantially burden” a […]

Forum Center: Slow-pokes, keep right By Sarah Sidlow Illustration: Jed Helmers Left-lane hogs got you down? Have you recently gotten stuck behind a truck on your morning commute? Well, a current proposal in the Ohio House may change all that. House Bill 100 proposes a requirement that vehicles weighing more than 10,000 pounds be driven […]

Forum Center: ‘Sooner’ or later… By Sarah Sidlow The University of Oklahoma’s Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) chapter closed last week after an incendiary video of members singing racist lyrics surfaced online. “There will never be a n***** in SAE,” the members chant in the video, “You can hang him from a tree, but he can […]

Forum Center: What the truck? By Sarah Sidlow Last November, 52-year-old Mike McDonald had a very, very bad day. While on his morning commute to work on High Knoll Drive, McDonald spotted a pool of water at the bottom of a hill. Not thinking much of it (it was probably melted snow, he thought), McDonald […]

Debate Center: Who’s in charge here, anyway? By Sarah Sidlow A coalition of 26 states led by U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen of Texas has temporarily blocked President Barack Obama’s November executive orders on immigration. This move, which the White House has promised to appeal, will give the states time to pursue a lawsuit aiming to […]

Forum Center: Offensive or comprehensive? By Sarah Sidlow President Obama made waves last week with his comments about the ability of religious faith to inspire not only acts of good, but acts of evil. During his speech at the National Prayer Breakfast, Obama urged his fellow Christians, who make up a majority of the United […]

Forum Center: The death debate By Sarah Sidlow Illustration: Jed Helmers You’ve just been told you have six months to live. Because your brain tumor is so large, doctors prescribe full brain radiation – a procedure that will result not only in the loss of your hair, but first-degree burns on your scalp. At 29 […]

Forum Center: When journalism becomes activism By Sarah Sidlow French satire magazine Charlie Hebdo recently made international headlines when its cover, which is known for lampooning political or religious figures, bore an image of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. However, it was not the cover itself that made the world pay attention, but the reaction of two Islamist extremists, […]

Forum Center: That toy is not a toy! By Sarah Sidlow Lately, there has been no shortage of news reports of incidents involving unarmed citizens being fatally shot by police officers who suspect them of carrying concealed weapons. A number of these stories have involved citizens – particularly young, African American males – carrying toy guns […]

Forum Center: Next time, please RSVP By Sarah Sidlow The following letter from U.S. Congressman Michael R. Turner’s office was received by Dayton City Paper reader Mark Smith in September. It outlines the decision of the House of Representatives to pass a resolution condemning President Obama for failing to comply with the National Defense Authorization […]

Ring in the new year in confidence _________ 4 tips for surviving and thriving in 2015 Warning: A few of these might call you out on some of your bull By Jennifer Hanauer Lumpkin Here at Dayton City Paper, our top concern is your wellbeing. It’s all we talk about, really. So here we’ve compiled […]

Debate Center: A little friendly fire(ball) By Sarah Sidlow Illustration: Jed Helmers Since the 1930s, comic book giants DC and Marvel have engaged in a friendly rivalry. You know, a friendly fireball to the face, a Batarang through the spleen a … whatever Aquaman does… That rivalry has recently come into the public eye to a greater […]

Forum Center: Is PC passé? The DCP political correctness debate By Sarah Sidlow Illustration: Jed Helmers In a unanimous October vote, the Seattle, Washington, City Council voted to recognize Columbus Day, a federal holiday, as Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Seattle isn’t the first city to do so, having followed the lead of a similar April vote in […]